Projectile



Feb. 4, 1947. J. E. HAIGNEY 2,415,348

PROJECTILE Filed June 17, 1943 2 Sheets-Shet l f IN VEN TOR.

J. E. HAIGNEY Feb. 4, 1947.

PROJECTILE Filed June 17, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INKENTOF. JhnECJ-[avgng Patented F eb. 4, 1947 UNITED STATES hili dh Claims. 1

This invention relates to projectiles and more particularly to a mechanism for correcting or changing the flight of a projectile after it has been discharged and during its fiight to compensate for changes in direction and speed of a rapidly moving target and to correct original errors in aiming or calculation of firing data.

In firing at extreme ranges, a relatively long period of time elapses between the projectiles discharge and its arrival at the target or at the place where it is intended to strike or explode. The calculation of firing data for long range weapons directed against moving targets is usually based upon an assumed uniform direction and speed. As a result aircraft and ships under fire have adopted changes in direction and speed as standard defensive methods. These arbitrary changes occurring subsequent to the projectiles discharge or at least subsequent to the calculation of firing data cannot be predetermined. Where the range is extreme, minute errors and miscalculations render the projectile ineffective.

An object of this invention is to provide a shell which will compensate for the inaccuracy of fire due to the foregoing factors by the use of mechanism which will automatically correct the flight of the projectile to overcome arbitrary changes in target direction and speed and original errors in aiming and computation of firing data.

My invention contemplates a light or radiowave sensitive apparatus which when placed off center in the nose of a projectile will, due to the rotational action of the projectile, scan the space in advance of the projectiles flight. This apparatus is designed to be activated by the diference in light of radio wave radiatrons emanated from or reflected by the target and its background. Under daylight conditions, aircraft, when viewed from the ground, are silhouetted against lighter backgrounds. At night their motors are a source of infra-red rays, and if illuminated from below, are silhouetted against uniformly darker backgrounds. Under both day and night conditions they are reflectors of any light or radio waves projected from the ground. Analogous conditions exist in respect to ships. Projectiles fired by high powered guns rotate rapidly on their longer axis at a high velocity during flight. Bombs dropped from a height may be given the same spinning characteristics. The momentum of these projectiles lies in the direction of flight but they are easily deflected in directions at an angle to their line of flight.

The purpose of my invention is therefore to provide means activated by the light or radio wave sensitive apparatus which will tend to move the projectile at an angle to its line of flight where the target requires such action. For the purposes of illustration only, I have described m invention as applied to an antiaircraft shell with the use of light sensitive cells but it will be appreciated that it is equally applicable to any type of projectile designed to be fired at extreme ranges. It will also be appreciated that under night operation, or in any daylight operation in which the target is used as a reflector of light, a reversal of a portion of the apparatus will be required. This will likewise be true if radio-wave sensitive cells are utilized to be activated by the targets refiection of radio waves projected from below.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a cross sectional View of an antiaircraft shell embodying a form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the lateral corrective discharges.

Fig. 3 is an illustrated view showing a typical situation which my invention is designed to handie.

I provide in the nose of a shell It, a pair of lenses I i and i2, each of these lenses H and i2 are set at an angle diverging from the normal line of fiight, L, the lens I I being set at a slightly greater angle than the lens H2. The rotation of the shell will cause the lens H to scan a hollow con-e slightly larger than the cone scanned by the lens 52. As shown in Fig. 3, the cone scanned by the lens H is indicated by the numeral hi while the cone scanned by the lens I2 is indicated by the numeral I5.

It will be appreciated that if the target is moving within the area [5 as the shell approaches the target no action will result since the target is not scanned by either lens. If on the other hand the shell is approaching the area it, it will be scanned by the hollow cone i4 and E5 in that order and its shadow will be reflected to the cells 1 l and E2 in the same order. On the other hand, the target is leaving the area It as the shell approaches the target it will be scanned by the walls of the hollow cones l5 and I l in that order and the shadow will be reflected to the lens 52 and l l accordingly.

Referring more particularly to Fig. l, I provide two light sensitive cells 23 and 2d, the cell 23 being positioned under the lens H and the cell 25 under the lens l2. Amplifiers 25 and 26 may likewise be provided. A source of electrical energy 21 is provided for the current and two magnets 23 and 28 are provided. These are arranged in a balanced circuit so that if the light received through the respective lenses by each light sensitive cell is equal the magnets 28 and 29 are similarly energized. An oscillator of springy metal construction 35' is mounted secured at one end 20 with its opposite end between the magnets so that its free end will be acted upon by the magnetic field of the two magnets. If the strength of the magnets 28 and 29 are equal, the oscillator 30 will be positioned an equal distance between them. However, if the magnetic field of one of the magnets is greater than the other, the oscillator 30 will move in the direction of the stronger magnet and return to normal when the magnetic fields are equalized.

Adjacent to one side of the oscillator 30, I have provided a key 32 adapted to close the contact 33 when the oscillator is moved in that direction. On the opposite side of the oscillator 36, I provide the contact 3| adapted to engage the oscil lator 30 when it moves in that direction. A source of energy 34 may be provided for the firing circuit. It wil1 be appreciated that the firing circuit will only fire when the key 32 has been closed to permanently engage the contact 33 and the contact 3| is thereafter engaged by the oscillator 30.

The firing circuit is thus so arranged that corrective lateral discharges only occur if the lines of flight of target and projectile are diverging. As the shell rotates and the lenses H and i 2 scan their respective hollow cones l4 and I5, a target 58 moving toward the center of the hollow core 16 will be scanned first by the cone l4 and thereafter by the cone I 5. This will result in the shadow being transmitted through the lens at H to the light sensitive cell 23 first, and thereafter through the lens I2 to the light sensitive cell 2 4. The resistance will thus be increased first in the cell 23 thus reducing the flow of cur-- rent to the magnet 28 and causing the oscillator 30 to move toward the magnet 29. Since the key 32 is open no action will take place in the firing circuit. No corrective action is desired since target and projectile are converging.

As the target 50 passes through cone l and its shadow is reflected through the lens I 2, the resistance is increased in the cell 24 and the flow of current to the magnet 29 is diminished causing a deflection of the oscillator 38 toward the magnet 28 and permanently closing the key 32 but leaving the contact 5| open. the target is diverging from area l6 as indicated by the target 6!], it will then enter the con Hi with the result that the contact 3! will be closed and. the firing circuit energized. Corrective action is desired since target and projectile are diverging.

A plurality of latera1 corrective discharges 40 are mounted along the long axis of the shell at approximately 180 from the scanning lens II. In practice the position would be less than 180 removed from the scanning lens to allow for lag in the circuit and in the firing mechanism. Each of these corrective charges may be fired by an electrical fuse and they preferably should be fired in pairs so that the corrective impulse does not result in a turning movement about the projectiles center of gravity with a resultant wobble. Each lateral discharge will, therefore, consist of a pair of discharges, each charge being equidistant from the shells center of gravity and on opposite ends of a line in line with the longitudinal axis of the shell.

The charges may be arranged in series so that corrective discharges will continue until correc- In the event that v tion is achieved. As shown in Fig. 2, each charge is so placed in the projectile casing l0 that upon its discharge it will move rearwardly. Referring to Fig. 2 the charge casing Al is adopted upon discharge to move rearwardly against the switch 52 pivoted at 43. Switch 42 is normally held in engagement with the charge casing 4| and out of engagement with the charge casing M by means of a projection 45. A similar arrangement exists with respect to the opposing charges of the pair 46.

Thus when the charges held in the casings 4| and G6 are exploded, the charges held in the casings G4 and 4! are placed in a position to explode should the target remain in zone I4.

Since the corrective charges are designed to explode in a direction from the scanning lens, the effect of these charges will be to move the shell at an angle from its line of fiight toward the direction of the target as indicated by the line of arrows 1E! and out of the true line of flight L. As has been explained, successive lateral charges may be exploded to cause a greater defiection where the scanning zones l5 and i l continue to encompass the target in that order. The operation previously described contemplates a shell being used against a target which in turn appears against a lighter background such as a plane against the sky or a ship against the sea. At night where a plane would reflect light from search lights, the plane might be shown as a brighter object against a darker background, the reverse operation would be necessary and means may be provided for adjusting the angles of the lenses l I and S2 with shells especially constructed with a reverse circuit for night use. A similar reversal of operation will be required when radiowave sensitive cells are utilized to be activated by the targets reflection of radio waves projected from below.

I claim:

1. In a projectile having a plurality of charges adapted to be fired laterally of the longitudinal axis thereof, a pair of ofiset lenses mounted in the nose of said projectile, each of said lenses adapted to scan concentric zones during the flight of said projectile, an electric circuit light sensitive cells positioned in circuit under said lenses, a pair of magnets in said circuit, an oscillator between said magnets, an electric firing circuit for said lateral charges, a switch for said circuit and a contact in said circuit operated by said oscillator whereby a shadow leaving said concentric zones will cause said oscillator to move in one direction to close said switch and in the other direction to close said contact but if entering said concentric zones will cause said oscillator to first engage said contact then open said contact and then close said switch.

2. A projectile having a series of lateral charges, successively mounted in one line parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, lenses mounted in the nose of said projectile, said lenses being offset and positioned to scan hollow concentric zones surrounding the line of flight of said shell, a circuit including li ht sensitive means cooper ating with said lenses and means operated by said circuit to fire said lateral charges as a target is leaving said concentric zones but to be inoperative if said target is entering said concentric zones.

3. A projectile having a series of lateral charges mounted on one line parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, an electric firing circuit for said charges, a switch in said firing circuit, a contact point, an oscillator positioned adjacent said switch and adjacent said contact point, a pair of magnets one on either side of said oscillator, an electric circuit controlling said magnets, a pair of light sensitive cells in said circuit, lenses above said light sensitive cells in the nose of said projectile, said lenses being offset to scan hollow concentric zones during the flight of said projectile.

4. A projectile having a plurality of charges adapted to be fired laterally of the longitudinal axis thereof to change the path of said projectile, an electric firing circuit adapted to successively fire said charges in pairs, a switch and a contact point in said circuit, an oscillator positioned between said switch and said contact point, adapted to close said switch when said oscillator moves in one direction and to engage said contact when said oscillator moves in the opposite direction, a pair of magnets, one positioned on either side of said oscillator, an electric circuit for said magnets, a pair of light sensitive cells one for each magnet, lenses in the nose of said projectile, communicating with said light sensitive cells, each of said lenses being offset to scan concentric zones around the path of flight of said projectile.

5. In a projectile, a series of charges adapted to be fired laterally alo'ng one side of said projectile parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, a circuit for said charges, said charges being fired in pairs, the charges of each pair being equidistant from the center of gravity of said shell, electric means for firing said pairs of charges successively and light sensitive means mounted in the nose of said projectile controlling said electric means.

6. In a projectile, a pair of light sensitive cells, a pair of lenses, one for each cell mounted to scan hollow concentric cones, one within the other, a source of power between said light sensitive cells, a magnet connected to each light sensitive cell, a series of pairs of charges mounted on the side of said shell, the charges of each of said pairs being equi-distant from the center of gravity of said shell, an electric firing circuit adapted to fire said pairs of charges successively, a switch in said circuit, a contact in said circuit, an oscillator mounted between said switch and said contact having its free end positioned between said magnets whereby a target entering said concentric cones will cause said oscillator to first engage said contact then open said contact and then engage said switch but in leaving said concentric cones will cause said oscillator to close said switch and then to engage said contactlto 6 close said firing circuit and explode a pair of said charges.

7. A projectile having laterally exploding charges mounted in a line parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, a firing circuit adapted to explode pairs of said charges in a predetermined order, light sensitive cells controlling said circuit and means in the nose of said projectile scanning concentric cones to determine whether said firing circuit shall remain open or closed.

8. A projectile having lateral exploding charges mounted in a line parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, a firing circuit adapted to explode pairs of said charges in a predetermined order, beam controlled cells controlling said circuit, means in the nose of said projectile scanning concentric zones to determine said firing circuit shall remain opened or closed.

9. A projectile having a plurality of charges adapted to be fired laterally of the longitudinal axis thereof to change the path of said projectile, an electric firing circuit adapted to successively fire said charges in pairs, a switch and a contact point in said circuit, an oscillator positioned between said switch and said contact point, adapted to close said switch when said oscillator moves in one direction, and to engage said contact when said oscillator moves in the opposite direction, a pair of magnets, one positioned on either side of said oscillator, an electric circuit for said magnets, a pair of beam controlled means, one for each magnet, lenses in the nose of said projectile, communicating with said beam controlled means, each of said lenses being offset to scan concentric zones around the path of flight of said projectile.

10. In a projectile, a series of charges adapted to be fired laterally in a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of said projectile, a circuit for said charges, said charges being fired in pairs, the charges of each pair being equi-distant from the center of gravity of said shell, beam controlled means mounted in the nose of said projectile controlling said electric means.

JOHN E. HAIGNEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 339,479 Italy Apr. 22, 1936 797,933 French Feb. 24, '1936 834,427 French July 4, 1938 836,555 French Oct. 1'7, 1938 839,407 French Jan. 4, 1939 

